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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28589499">Warm safflina</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalalando/pseuds/Lalalando'>Lalalando</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Luminous stones [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:21:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,669</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28589499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lalalando/pseuds/Lalalando</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Wild is wrung out and tired. Warriors notices and pulls out his hairbrush again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Luminous stones [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2075133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>346</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Warm safflina</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This kind of carries on from the first Luminous stones story...</p><p>I know this isn't very original, but I wanted to write/read something comforting. </p><p>I hope you like it &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Captain was the kind of person who showed he cared through touch.</p><p>He was always the first to place a warm, comforting hand on a shoulder, pull someone into the occasional hug or ruffle messy golden locks in wordless support. During his time with the group, he had also picked up on several quirks among the boys. He knew Legend appreciated the occasional friendly nudge, or squeeze of the shoulder, but would freeze if he was pulled into a hug.</p><p>In contrast, Sky loved hugs when he was feeling unwell or low, but <em>despised</em> having his hand held because he felt more vulnerable not having both of his hands free to draw his sword.</p><p>Wars had also developed a sixth sense during his time has Hyrule’s Royal Army. His natural talent in observation and strategy had given him a knack for running a quick eye over his men at random points throughout the day, knowing from a glance who was ready to fight and who would benefit from a day in the barracks.</p><p>It was for that reason, when Wild had walked into the living room of Legend’s cottage, eyes half-lidded and posture screaming with exhaustion, the soldier had lowered the book he was reading and had reached into his pack for his ever-present hairbrush.</p><p>It had a quirk that Warriors had learned about Wild by accident when the Champion had first joined the group.</p><p>He and Legend, trying to help the younger teen relax enough to sleep, had been astonished to learn that touching the Champion’s hair had an almost soporific effect on the archer, calming him quickly and giving him no choice but to trust others with his safety for a few hours while he finally gave in to sleep.</p><p>Warriors had been fascinated when he realised that Wild, usually so observant and vigilant, was apparently completely unaware of his own quirk and hadn't grasped the connection.</p><p>Unwilling to take advantage, it was Warriors’ last resort, when he thought Wild was becoming overwrought, too stressed or just generally hadn’t been sleeping, he would pull his trump card.</p><p>He watched, book face down on his lap and playing idly with the bristles of his hairbrush as he watched the Champion moved to sit by the fire. His bright blue eyes were dark. Black, bruise-like circles were beginning to form under his eyes and his long hair was becoming dull and unkempt.</p><p>He looked ready to drop. It had obviously been several days since he'd managed more than a cat-nap.</p><p>‘Wild?’</p><p>Wild looked up from the fireplace.</p><p>‘Hmm?’</p><p>‘Do you want me to braid your hair for you?’</p><p>Wild blinked and focused on the Captain, completely bemused, not sure he’d heard properly.</p><p>He knew that Warriors seemed to find brushing his long hair soothing, and sometimes approached him when he was getting ready to turn in for the night, but up until now, brushing was as far as the Captain had gone, he’d never offered to <em>style</em> it before and Wild wasn’t sure what to think.</p><p>‘D-do I… <em>what</em>?’</p><p>Sky and Hyrule stifled laughs at the baffled look on his face.</p><p>Warriors blushed slightly. ‘I’m pretty good at it.’ He looked with a completely neutral face that could only have been disapproving at Wild’s blonde hair.</p><p>‘I just noticed yours and…’</p><p>He trailed off suggestively, finger running along the bristles of his brush to accentuate his point.</p><p>Wild put a self-conscious hand up to his hair, feeling the bits sticking out of his scraped together pony-tail. He could tell just from touching it how messy it must be.</p><p>He blushed slightly when his questing fingers found a leaf tangled in the strands, it must have been there for days.</p><p>‘Ah…’</p><p>Twilight laughed. Taking pity on the younger man and well aware of what Warriors was trying to do.</p><p>‘He’s actually pretty good. Wars has had to make all of us presentable at one point or another.’ Twilight lowered his voice into a stage-whisper.</p><p>‘He has <em>very</em> high standards.’</p><p>Legend let out a surprised snort at the subtle sledge from <em>Twilight</em> and a grinning Four punched him lightly in the shoulder to quiet him.</p><p>Wild nodded slowly, twisting the end of his long strands between two fingers as he considered the offer.</p><p>If he was honest, he wasn't sure what to do with his thick, heavy hair besides his signature ponytail but didn't have the heart to cut it.</p><p>He knew that his Zelda braided hers into a crown to keep it out of her face, but he had never learned how to do anything similar to his own hair.</p><p>He tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips, learning a new style might be useful.</p><p>He sighed, head heavy and mind foggy.</p><p>‘Ok, thanks Wars.’</p><p>Warriors smiled and Wind spoke twisting his hands in his tunic.</p><p>‘Hey…erm… Wild?’</p><p>Wary blue eyes turned towards the young man.</p><p>‘Warriors was going to show me how to braid so I can do it for my sister when I get home. But we haven’t had anyone to practice on, and your hair is about as long as hers and if he's going to be braiding it <em>anyway</em>…’ the boy stumbled to a halt after his rambling speech, eyes glued on the floor and cheeks red.</p><p>Wild sighed again, louder, he rolled his eyes towards the rough wood of Legend’s ceiling.</p><p>‘…<em>fine</em>.’</p><p>‘Thank you!’ Wind breathed eyes lighting up.</p><p>Wild simply nodded and looked at them questioningly, tired eyes roaming listlessly around the room.</p><p>‘Where should I sit?’</p><p>Warriors bit his lip, looking critically at the length of Wild’s hair.</p><p>‘It might be better if you just laid down on your stomach for now.’ He considered, knowing that the Champion would be more comfortable laying down once the brushing started.</p><p>He turned back to the scarred teen, before continuing. ‘Wind is a bit shorter, so if you sit you’ll be on the ends of your hair and if you stand he might not be able to reach the bits he needs.’</p><p>‘Whatever.’ Wild mumbled with a shrug of his shoulders, a bit astonished at the sheer amount of thought that had apparently gone into this.</p><p>Four outright laughed this time and Wild shot him a tiny, wry, smile of tired amusement.</p><p>Twilight grinned and handed him a cushion to put under his arms.</p><p>‘May as well get comfy, Cub.’ He laughed, winking subtly at Warriors who smiled faintly back.</p><p>Legend snorted, leaning back on the sofa, sharp eyes catching the exchange between the Rancher and the Captain. A quick glance at the amused faces around the room confirmed that everyone was aware of what was happening except Wild.</p><p>The Veteran hid a smile behind a layer of sarcasm. ‘Farm boy's right. Now you’ve given the Hyrule Hair Club permission, it’s going to be a fucking <em>eternity</em> before you’re allowed to move again.’</p><p>Wild settled himself on his stomach, chin resting on his folded arms and exhausted eyes staring into the flames of the fireplace as Warriors and Wind settled on either side of him.</p><p>Everyone went back to what they’d been doing before, small, secret grins on every face.</p><p>‘Ok.’ Warriors said quietly. ‘First we need to get the knots out. On hair this long you have to start at the bottom and work your way up or else it can really hurt when the brush snags on a knot or…Goddesses… <em>Wild!</em> … or a <em>twig</em> apparently.’</p><p>His tone dripped disapproval and Wild couldn’t help the small laugh that bubbled from him at how <em>offended</em> the Captain sounded, he heard Four laugh again and then felt impossibly gentle fingers remove something from his hair.</p><p>His eyes fluttered for a moment before he forced them back open.</p><p>Wind made a noise of rapt agreement, apparently taking the Captain’s hair-care tips to heart. Wild couldn't help but roll his eyes with a small grin, and people called <em>him</em> crazy.</p><p>He felt gentle hands begin brushing at the ends of the longest strands and, after a few minutes, felt exhaustion pull at him again.</p><p>He let himself begin to drift, strangely relaxed at the repetition and at the knowledge that he was inside, safe, warm and dry, surrounded by friends.</p><p>His thoughts started to wander.</p><p>O o O o O</p><p>‘Hey Wild?’ Warriors asked quietly. ‘Can you turn your head so we can see the crown?’</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>‘Wild?’ Wind asked softly. He peered around the mounds of hair to look at his friend. He smiled slightly. ‘He’s asleep.’ He whispered.</p><p>Time looked up with a soft smile, hands not pausing in the polishing of his shield, well aware of Warriors’ nefarious plan to get Wild to rest.</p><p>‘He went to sleep about two minutes after you started. I think it’s a new record, Captain.’</p><p>Sky nodded his agreement with a smile from where he was sitting next to Time, sanding a small carving.</p><p>At the front of the room, in the sofa closest to the fireplace, they had both watched in amusement as Wild had begun to fade out almost immediately after the brushing had started.</p><p>Glazed blue eyes had fixed on the flickering fire.</p><p>He’d blinked once, twice and then seemed to have trouble reopening his eyes.</p><p>A moment later and the normally erratic sleeper had drifted off completely.</p><p>‘Ah.’ Warriors looked up towards the ceiling in victory. ‘<em>Finally</em>. Ok Sailor. I don’t want to disturb him, he has trouble getting enough sleep as it is and Hylia <em>knows</em> he needs the rest.’ He bit his lip, considering.</p><p>He knew from experience that Wild would be out for hours now that he’d settled and that the longer the brushing continued, the more rested he would be when he awoke.  </p><p>‘We can keep going, but I'll have to show you how to do a looser braid from now on, don’t tug on the pieces too hard.’</p><p>Wind nodded, soft eyes on his sleeping friend and gently reached for his next section of hair.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so tired I almost posted the content of my Anatomy assignment instead of this little ficlet.</p><p>I have... so much due...</p><p>... I'm in danger :)</p><p>Edit: I've got a thought at the back of my mind to do a-short-fic-a-day during Feb because uni is going to be insane and I'm probably not going to be able to work on the other stories I've got on the go. Would anyone be interested in joining in if I posted the prompt list I found online? </p><p>I don't want to promise anything yet, I want to get through the next couple of weeks first and honestly might not have the brain power to pull it off, but it might be a fun challenge?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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